To See, or Not To See
by Shizeek
Summary: Seeing through the eyes of Ezio has become second nature to Desmond. So he's not surprised to see an assassin while in eagle vision. Except Desmond is not in the animus and Lucia is not a memory. . .  DesmondXOC EzioXOC Rating for later chapters Genre @.@
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

C:\Login _

C:\Login AllUsers\Administrator

C:\Administrator Password _

C:\Administrator Password **********

C:\AllUsers\Administrator _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator cmd run file\MHAIRI,exe

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator Database\DESMOND MILES

C:Initiating...

C:MHAIRI,exe\Initiated _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator cmd start\MHAIRI,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE one

C:MHAIRI,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE one starting _

* * *

><p>"Don't forget Desmond, back before dawn."<p>

"Yes, mum." I say, rolling my eyes at Lucy. I snatch up my bag and sling it over my shoulder, flashing a grin and then adding, "I'll be back, before dawn." as her frown of concern deepens.

I go over the warning as I make my way out of the Sanctuary, to the town beyond. Abstergo eyes are everywhere and if I'm out in public too long they will find me, meaning don't go out if I don't need to and if I am out, haul ass back to the Sanctuary, before the sun comes up.

_It's not like I go on benders in my free time,_ I snort at the thought, _It's not like I have free time..._I shrug it off, and find my way up the wall, nearest the exit.

The streets of Monteriggionni are empty, as I survey the town from the roof of what remained of the Villa Auditori. I make my way up to the rooftops. Scaling the walls of the buildings like they are ladders and jumping from beam to ledge with ease. Leaping from roof to roof, for me, as easy as stepping over a curb is to the average person.

But then, I'm not an average person.

I'm an assassin, descended from assassins. The skills I use to eventually climb to the top of the church, learnt from the peculiar bleeding effect, a direct result of, reliving my ancestors memories in the animus for prolonged periods.

I perch on the cross atop the church and pause to enjoy the chance to breathe the fresh air, in person. Lately, more often than not, the rooftops I frequent are those of 15th/16th century, Italy. And even then, it's only my mind that's there, no matter how much my mind feels like it belongs there, in the body of Ezio Auditori da Firenze.

_Not that I'm complaining, _I think to myself, _I mean I'm trying to help save the world, aren't I? Even if, after all the time I spent as Altair, and the more time I spend as Ezio, it takes me longer and longer to feel like me again..._

The thought trails off, as my eagle vision kicks in of its own accord, as if to say, _You're losing it, Desmond._

I shove the thought from my mind and go to change sight, when I notice the figure. Shimmering blue, it approaches the church. As I crane my neck to watch, I nearly lose my balance, snatching at the metal cross to stop from falling, as the figure enters the building.

_The only time I see like that is in the animus,_ I think to myself, as I drop to the roof, "And in visions." I muse, out loud.

_Yet another sign of your declining mental health . . ._

I can't even tell if the thought is mine. But there it is, sounding suspiciously like Shaun. I push it away, like all the others, to deal with later.

Curiosity wins and I slide down the front of the building, dropping lightly near the door, before peering around the frame, to watch the person inside. After all the time in the animus, nothing seems unusual. It takes me a few seconds to realise what is out of place and I blink.

_That cloak is from my time, not his_. I grimace at my mistake and mentally correct it, _From Ezio's time, not mine._ I walk in to get a better view, deciding it must be a vision.

The figure stands at the altar, head slightly bowed. The shining blue intensifies as I approach, the figure still and unmoving, as I walk right up to the altar. Then, when the figure turns and then takes a step back to stop from walking into me, I just stare.

_Time slows._

I can only see her mouth, the shadow cast from her hood, hiding the rest of her face. She pushes her cloak open and I'm blinded by white, narrowing my eyes at the sudden onslaught, barely seeing her mouth curve upwards into smile, as her hood falls back.

The glare fades and my eyes return to normal, as her face is revealed. I keep staring, because to part of me she is familiar. It niggles in the back of my head, like when you meet someone and you know them, but can't remember where from, or their name's on the tip of your tongue, but you can't quite remember it.

Even though she only feels familiar to part of me, all of me wants to know her. I feel a surge of affection towards her, with her easy smile and it unnerves me. To have this feeling, that I have no right to feel, especially when brought on by a complete stranger.

I hear the unmistakable sound of the hidden blade and I look down at the arm she's raising, to see the silver tip, protruding from her sleeve. The gesture, not threatening, more cautionary, like she's saying "I'm packing, so don't start anything."

_And still, she smiles._

I breathe out and make a concentrated effort to change sight, trying to shake off the strange feeling, seeing her has left me with. The glare fades with the eagle sight and my surroundings return to their normal colours, time to its normal pace.

_But she's still there._

Assassin robes, replaced by jeans and a hooded shirt. Hidden blade, replaced by a silver charm bracelet. Confident smile, replaced by a suspicious frown. From the way she looks at me, I can imagine her mumbling "Weirdo".

She takes half a step back, glancing behind her, clearly looking for options if she needs to run. I shake my head, moving forward, raising my hands in an, embarrassed, apology and she raises her own defensively, so I stop, hold my hands out and lean back.

"Sorry, I, uh, thought, you were someone else. Didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm nay scared." She rolls her r's, her accent tingling in my ears and sending a slight shiver down my back, as she stands straighter, glaring at me.

"My mistake," I hide my smile, at her lie. "But, still, I'm sorry, even if I, _didn't_, scare you." I say, emphasizing the word, as I move back. I give her a small smile, before turning to leave.

"You know, it's creepy that you're wandering around at this time." She calls out to me and my smile widens by itself. I give my head a slight shake, surprised by my reaction to her simply speaking to me, and turn back.

"I could say the same to you." I look at her, trying not to make it obvious. Physically, she was the same person now, as she was in the vision, maybe a little difference, definitely different clothes, but pretty much the same person.

"Wheel, I'm not the one sneaking up on people, am I?" She shot back, clearly calming down from the fright I'd given her, accent softening and her grammar improving. I shrug and nod, my smile returning. This was a strange place for her to be. She's only young, still in her teens, pre-dawn mass was not something she looked like she did often.

"I like your accent. Where are you from?" That niggle in the back of my mind had faded with the eagle vision, but it was still there. I felt compelled to break the ice.

"New Zealand." She pauses and looks to the side, then back at me. "Wheel, Scotland, but I live in New Zealand." She blinks, and clenches her jaw, realising she is telling a total stranger, personal details. I smile to save her.

"I'm Desmond." She glances up.

"Lucia," She starts, before I'm deafened by a voice in my ear.

"_Desmond, it's nearly dawn. Get back to the Sanctuary now!_" I look back at her, apologetic.

"It was nice to meet you, Lucia. I'm sorry I scared you and maybe I'll see you around." I give her a brief wave as I turn, walking fast to through the door. A quick glance behind assures me that she is out of sight before taking a running start at the wall opposite. Her response follows me as I reach the roof.

"I wasn't scared!"

My smile stays put as I make my way back to the Sanctuary. Not even a snide comment from Shaun touches it. I just smile at him, until he looks away, saying "He's finally lost it."

"Getting caught is nothing to smile about Desmond." Lucy's tone manages to make my smile waver. "Why do you always have to leave it until the last minute to come back?" I groan at her.

"It's not like there's far to go." I snap at her. "Anyone could make it back here in a minute."

"Exactly. If the Abstergo agents saw you, we wouldn't have time to pack up and leave." I stared stonily at the ground and she seemed to get that I wasn't interested in a lecture.

"You should get some sleep, before our next session." Her voice was gentler, as she gestured towards my sleeping bag. Tensions were running high, for all of us and I moved to the bed, dropping down on it, rather than starting a conflict over nothing. Besides, now that I was down, I could feel how tired I was. My smile returned, as I closed my eyes, because, there she was.

The girl from the church, smiling back at me.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Desmond?" I look up at Rebecca's cautious tone and raise my eyebrows. "You, all right? You seem distracted." She smiles, "Well more distracted."<p>

"You know what they say about small minds." Shaun pipes up, not even bothering to look up from his computer screen, to throw the comment into the conversation. Rebecca shoots him a bored look.

"Always helpful, Shaun." She says drily.

"I aim to please." He replies, without missing a beat.

Rebecca ushers me, as far away from the cynical Brit, as we can get in the confines of our small workspace. I look back at Shaun, wondering if he runs through derogatory comments in his spare time, so he has a response for every situation. Or if they just come naturally.

"It's just- I know this must be a lot of pressure for you." She looks away awkward, "If you ever need to talk, you know, I'm here, or Lucy." I look away too. She was offering me a shoulder to lean on. A hesitant offer, but genuine as far as I could tell. "And there's always Shaun."

We both looked at the Brit, who was now commenting on the fact that America's enemies don't need to attack head on, they could just wait and let America destroy itself with American food, which was detrimental to the health of everybody on and including, the planet Earth, and should be illegal on a universal scale.

"Uh, thanks Bex, but I think I'll pass on Shaun." I crinkle my forehead as the techie laughs. "But there was something you might be able to help me with. I think it's got something to do with the animus."

"Shoot." She said, her face perking up at the mention of "Baby", the animus.

"Well, I met this girl the other morning," I start and Rebecca laughs.

"Ezio, sure is a ladies' man." I grin.

"Yeah," I agree with that truth, "but I meant a real girl. Well, a real girl from our time." She looks at me then narrows her eyes.

"Are you getting some, Des? Broken the dry spell?" she waggles her eyebrows, "Been holding out on us." I shake my head, at her laughter, fending off a grin.

"Not like that, I saw her and she looked like an assassin, from Ezio's time. I mean, I thought she was a vision, I walked right up to her, she nearly took my head off." Rebecca's laugh, slowly faded.

"Vision?"

"You know, like when I see Ezio."

"Oh, yeah of course." Her tone is light, but I see the look in her eyes, for the split second, before she waves at me to continue.

Worry.

_Great one Desmond. You're making her think you're crazy too._ I try not to roll my eyes at myself and push on with what I was saying.

"So, I see her and she's all assassin, then I close my eyes and open them, expecting her to disappear, like Ezio does, but she's still there. Only she's dressed like she belongs to this time and she's kind of freaked." The techie blinks. She obviously has no idea what I'm talking about.

"So . . . She was there?" She ventures, clearly wondering if that's the appropriate response.

"Yeah, only at first when I looked at her, like when I'm trying to find my target in the animus, she was dressed as an assassin. And she knew me." I look at Rebecca and she nods. "And I felt like I knew her."

"Okay, I'm with you so far."

"But when I looked at her, normally, like how I'm looking at you now, she's just another girl. She's was wearing jeans and a hoody. She had no idea who I was and said I was creepy."

"Have you seen her since?" I see her brain ticking over behind her eyes, as I shake my head. "I'll look into it. Don't worry about it, Des."

"It's probably just lack of sleep." My turn to try and make the conversation less serious. She smiles and nods, clearly more for my benefit, than a sign of actual belief. She says she should get back to work, and I accept her excuse to leave, gracefully.

_I bet she's not so glad she offered to talk now,_ I hear the voice in my head, _Now that you've just added another sign, to the huge pile they already have, that your deteriorating in here._

I stare at nothing. My head having an argument with itself, although one side of the conversation has a slight Italian slur to it. I look at the time, forty minutes till dawn, and decide to head up and stretch my legs.

Rebecca calls out to Lucy and I point up, signalling my intent to leave. Lucy responds with a finger tapped against her wrist, telling me to keep an eye on the time. With my back turned, they begin talking about me.

I increase my pace and take off at a jog, to get out of earshot faster, not wanting to hear them talk about my mental state, when I already had a conversation about that, going on in my head. Then, just like the night before and the one before that, I make my way to the church.

* * *

><p>AN: The computer login start sequence, is based, only on a very basic format. In other words, is completely made up, and excuse the commas that should be full stops. Something was deleting the words out so I had to change them. So concludes, Chapter 1 of my first ever fanfic. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

C:\Login:._

C:\Login: AllUsers\Administrator

C:\Administrator Password: _

C:\Administrator Password: **********

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: _

C:\AllUsers\Administrato: cmd run file\EZIO,exe

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator:Database\LUCIA McCLAREN

C:Initiating...

C:EZIO,exe\Initiated_

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd start\EZIO,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE one

C:EZIO,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE one starting _

* * *

><p><em>I waited.<em>

_My information said the target passed through here, everyday at this time. And so, I waited. Amongst the citizens that lined the streets, gathering or walking in groups. Some would sit, some would stand, all without a thought to the cloaked figure moving with them._

_I smile slightly at the absurdity of it. With my hood up, I stand out from those around me, all others having bare heads, but by staying in the crowd, moving with them, I was rendered invisible. A wolf, in wolfs clothing, successfully wearing the ignorance of those around, as a veil._

_I look and then take a second look._

_I am rewarded, as I see a gold shimmer from the approaching target. He does not know it, but he has only a minute left to live. I think on how I will get away after the act is complete. Having climbed all the tallest points throughout the city and surveying the surrounding area, I had created a fully formed map, each sight, committed, to memory._

_The mental picture of the layout of the city, with my escape route emblazoned on my mind, serving even better then a drawn map. No trivial data. Hiding spots, the Mercenaries Barracks, Thieves Guild, places I might need to get to fast after I have fulfilled the contract I had travelled all this way for. From the Lowlands of Scotland, to the bustling city of Rome, all that way for one man. A man aiding our enemies. His death could be the blow that gives us the upper hand. I put my mind back to the task as he moves closer._

_A few steps and I'm on the edge of the group. I watch without looking. A slight smile, at the look on his face. He is oblivious. I feel the pressure of my hidden blade at my wrist, as I prepare to strike. I step to the side, blocking his way. His frown hasn't even fully formed, as I step in to him. I put one hand on his shoulder, as though I am greeting him and drive my other hand forward until it is flat on his chest, then look him in the eye._

_I see the realisation in his eyes, as it dawns on him in that last moment. They widen with acceptance, even as they go dark. I retract my blade and prepare to take on his weight. He's heavy, the product of rich food and little exercise. I brace to move, knowing that the longer I wait to leave, the higher the chance of running into a roving band of guards. No one notices his death, though dozens unknowingly witness it. He slumps forward._

_There is a blur from above, then a force that slams me to the ground, the target on top. I gasp for air, dazed. Onlookers scream and back away. I see a figure in white stand and look down at me. I blink, my eyes unfocused, and concentrate on pushing the body off me. I force myself up and stumble, before my vision clears. The figure in white is gone and the crowd watches me in horror. A glance down shows my robes are stained with blood, testament to the accuracy of my blade, straight into the heart._

"_What's going on here," I curse under my breath as I move away from the guards, who are pushing their way through the crowd. The onlookers part in front of me as though I have plague. Blood stains not a very effective look, when you are trying to blend in._

"_Hay you, stop!" I take off at a sprint, not needing to turn around to know that the words are directed at me. They pursue me through the streets and I know as long as I am in their line of sight, I can't vanish into a hay pile or down a well. I work on breaking that line of sight._

_I make a running leap and catch a low hanging beam. Pulling myself up and skipping over to the next beam and the next. I grab at a ledge and roll onto the roof it belongs to. Quickly setting off again as I hear my pursuers scaling the wall beneath me. _

_I ignore the shouted warnings from the rooftop sentries and leap across the street to the next roof. A glance behind shows the progress of the initial chasers. The forerunner, clearly a skilled free runner also, too close behind me for comfort. I pick up the pace and leap up to another roof._

_A crossbow bolt whistles past my ear and slams into the wall by my head, grazing my arm. I slip, but manage to keep a hold of the wall and pull myself clear. I make a split second decision and jump back over the edge, the way I had just come up._

_My blade slices through the collarbone of the guard below, he crumples, my weight forcing him to the ground. I look up at those fast approaching and take a flying leap, clearing the street below. I drop down the side of the wall, in my haste misjudging the distance to the ground._

_I let out a low growl, pain jarring through my ankle as I land and try my best to get in a passing group of people, before the guards above see me. I force my breathing to even and try not to hobble, pulling my cloak around me in an attempt to hide the blood stains._

"_There!"_

_I sigh as I am seen. _So much for an anonymous kill,_ I think to myself and curse the stranger who had interfered. I turn and face the guards, not willing to risk further injury by running or climbing. I shake out my limbs and take a defensive position, favouring my injured ankle. The numbers of pursuers had increased, and now there were seven dropping down from the roof above. More shouts to my side announce the arrival of more guards._

Eleven against one,_ I think over the numbers,_ I've faced worse._ But that's no consolation. That's just eleven blades, all looking for my throat. I look at the ground, finding it easier to feel the movement of the guards surrounding me, rather than looking at just one individual. I feel the man behind me tense, betraying his intention to attack._

_He swings his sword high and I whirl, one arm stops his down stroke, knee to the groin makes him freeze, hidden blade slicing through the sinew of his neck and cutting his spine. My blade slides free, slick with new blood, as he drops and I'm immediately on defence again._

_The next guard I disarm, beheading him with his own sword. In one movement, I swing the sword back, to slice through the throat of the guard next to him, before the first headless corpse has even hit the ground. A blow from a mace behind me makes me stumble forward and I drop the sword. Before I can recover, another guard grabs me, forcing my arms behind my back._

"_I've got you now," He yells in my ear, pulling the hood from my head. "A girl!"_

_He's clearly astonished, expecting a man to have delivered the deathly blows to his comrades. I sneer at him not giving him the satisfaction of an answer. Another of the guards moves forward, until he stands directly in front of me. He has the look of a ferret, thin and wiry, with a face that clearly needed to pay, to feel a woman's touch._

"_It is a good thing we found out before we killed you. We can take reparation for their lives from your hide." He runs his dagger down the front of my clothes, leering, while the others snicker their agreement. I tilt my head and smile invitingly at him. As he leans forward, I use the man holding my arms as leverage and jump, bringing my leg up and hearing the satisfying crunch as my knee connects solidly with his jaw._

_He stumbles and drops to a knee, as the guard holding me tightens his grip, forcing my hand further up my back and cursing me. I ignore the pain and laugh as the ferret like guard dribbles blood coloured spittle onto the ground. He gives me a murderous look, spitting, as he stands._

"_On second thought, you don't have to be breathing to repay the debt." He growls, voice disfigured from what had sounded like a broken jaw. He takes a step forward. I clench my jaw as three things happen._

_I flexed, sending my hidden blade into the chest of the guard holding me, not a fatal wound, but enough for him to let go. Three assassins dropped from the rooftops surrounding us, killing another three of the unsuspecting guards around me. With the distraction I step forward and aim an uppercut at the guard, at the last moment freeing my blade and forcing it up under the ferret guards' chin, sending it through the roof of his mouth and into his brain._

_I give him a grim smile as his muscles contract and his body spasms, eyes wide with surprise, blood leaking from his mouth. I send my blade back to the guard I had injured, as the ferret like one drops to the ground, killing him with several quick stabs to the torso. I turn to the remaining three guards in time to see them, now that the opposition's numbers were larger than their own, sheath their weapons and run, tails between their legs._

_I look over at the newcomers. Two of them nod to me and, after giving the third a slight bow, run off, one disappearing into the gathering crowd, the other vanishing over a rooftop. I watch the third cautiously, as he approaches, he motions with his hand._

"_Do not be scared bella, we don't have time. More guards will come."_

"_I am nay scared." I reply evenly, stepping back and shooting him a defiant look. Which he counterss with an amused smile._

_I take in his appearance. He is older, but still handsome, brown hair tied in a pony tail, short beard, solid. His weapons, clothes and the respect received from the other assassins also signalled he was of high rank. His very persona and the way he held himself exuded the confidence of a master, in the quiet way only an assassin could._

_But that was one thing I had hoped I wouldn't see. The reason I opted to stay with the thieves and mercenaries, rather than make contact with the Assassins of Rome. Though it was most likely a coincidence, after all _He _can't be the only master in Italy, and I didn't know for certain this one was a master._

_I lift my leg slightly as pain throbs through my ankle and he notices, I see his eyes flick to my injury and he steps closer._

"_You need to get that looked at, and your back, we can stop at a doctoro on the way. Can you walk?"_

_I think on his suggestion, knowing that it is the best at the moment and my mind is made up for me, as I hear a woman scream. I look around at the citizens watching, and think of the sight they were seeing. Two figures, one covered in blood, both standing in the middle of ground strewn with the bodies of guards. I nod at the man, stepping towards him._

"_Lead the way." He whistles and a group of women materialise from the crowd. They surround us as I pull my hood up and we walk, suddenly anonymous again, from the scene._

* * *

><p>My eyes flick open and I sit upright looking around, before breathing a sigh of relief. <em>It was only a dream. <em>I fall backwards onto my pillow and rub my eyes, the details from the dream, still vivid in my memory. With my eyes closed, I can see the man from my dream clearly. Like an older version of the guy I met at the church, the cute, creepy one.

"What's his name?" I rack my brain, trying to remember and then give a small, triumphant, smile as I open my eyes. "Desmond."

Knowing I won't get back to sleep, I decide to get up and explore the city. I creep out of the hotel apartment, making sure I don't wake my aunt and uncle. Thinking back on how much I had moaned about being separated from my friends for the holidays, when they had first told me about the trip, my attitude had done a complete 180.

I hadn't enjoyed sightseeing so much in my entire life. I smile, they had told me the trip was a reward for all the hard work I'd put in at school and for finishing my exams and I had turned around and said it was a punishment. Well, they had proved me wrong, hadn't they. I push open the door in front of me and am surprised to find myself looking out from the roof of the hotel, I hadn't even noticed that I had gone up instead of down.

I move to the edge and look across the starlit city. It was beautiful, _And to think, I'm from here, _I smile my approval, _Even if I'm not exactly sure, how I'm from here._ I gaze at the space to the next roof and shake my head.

_Bad idea, _I tell myself, _You can jump anything in a dream, this is not a dream. You fall, you get hurt, for real._

But it's too late. I blink and I'm running at the edge, I leap and my stomach lurches, as I find myself midair, between two buildings. I hit the other roof solidly and the shock of my landing, shudders up through my feet. I look back at the hotel roof in disbelief, still crouched.

"What the..." My breathing is fast, from the run and the exhilaration that I had done it, successfully. I shake my head and stand up. I look at the next roof curiously, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Before I know it I'm jumping from roof to roof like I'd done it all my life. Finally, breathless, I drop my legs off the side of a roof and sit, swinging my legs back and forth.

My grin feels permanently fixed on my face. I cover my mouth with my hand and smother a laugh. _That was one inspiring dream_, I think to myself, knowing for certain, this time yesterday, there was no chance I would have even thought of doing this, let alone actually doing it. I close my eyes and turn my face to the sky, seeing the man from my dream clearly.

He was hot, no matter what his age, and his voice . . . I think of all the Italian accents I had heard since getting to Italy, his was the best by far, and he was only a dream. _I bet he was super hot when he was young._ My smile turns into a grin at my thoughts. _Stupid girl, _I chide myself, holding in a laugh. _He's only a dream._

_But, _my eyes peak open at my new development, _Desmond's not. _I nod, _He's also not Italian, with his accent, definitely American._ I let my thoughts wonder as I look across the lightening horizon, catching a glimpse of a shadow landing on the adjacent rooftop.

_Too big to be a cat,_ I think, my interest peaking as I squint to see clearer. The shadow moves to the edge and peers down. _Is that a person? _The shape makes its way down the side of the church and my eyes widen as it steps into the light, peering inside the building.

"Desmond?" I utter the name in surprise and the feeling increases as he spins around at the sound of my voice, which I thought had been little more than a whisper. He stands still for a moment, before offering an awkward wave.

"Lucia... Hey." I stare at his greeting, clearly there's more to him than meets the eye. "How'd you get up there?" he asks in a less then convincing voice.

"The same way you got down there, I'm guessing." I'm still staring, I know I am, but I make no attempt to hide it. He puts his hand up, telling me to wait and crosses to the wall below. I watch him make quick work of the distance between us and in no time he's sitting on the ledge next to me.

"So..." He looks at his hands. "It's a nice night." I nod, too dumbstruck to do anything else and then add the next thing that came to mind.

"So I had a dream about you." His turn to nod.

"Was it good?" I give him a non-committed nod/shrug.

"I could tell you about it?" I offer and when he nods, I start regaling him with my dream of assassins.

* * *

><p>AN Though it's written Mhairi, it's pronounced Mha-REE or Vha-REE. Vha-REE is the version I'm using in this story. Anyway, for those who are following, Hope you enjoyed chapter two and don't forget to review it


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

C:\Login: _

C:\Login: AllUsers\Administrator

C:\Administrator Password: _

C:\Administrator Password: **********

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd run file\MHAIRI,exe

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: Database\DESMOND MILES

C:Initiating...

C:MHAIRI,exe\ Error _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: Define Error

C:Database\DESMOND MILES\Unresponsive _

* * *

><p>I listen to her talk, just a normal girl, chatting away. It's a welcome reprieve from the seriousness of the assassins in the Sanctuary. I look back at her, her hair is a slight mess and I'm pretty sure she's wearing pyjamas. I bring my eyes up, realising she's stopped talking.<p>

"The first look's free, but after that, I start charging." I look away, glad that in the weak light she can't see me blush. "So, weird right?" She continues, waiting for my response.

"Your dream, yeah, I mean assassins?" I laugh to cover the thoughts in my head. _When she said she had a dream about me, wasn't the kind of dream I had expected, or hoped for._ _She described it in perfect detail, and I'm sure the assassin at the end is Ezio. And if it's real, why haven't I come across the memory yet? And the truely weird thing is, _how_ does she know and who is she? _The thoughts melt away as she smiles at me.

"Yeah, but then I get up and I'm jumping over rooftops, just like in my dream." She says excitedly. "Now I just have to dream about having a lot of money and I'm set." I laugh at her enthusiasm.

"Well, be sure to let me know if you have one of those." I wink at her, "I'm definitely in." She flashes me another shy smile that brings on a whole new surge of butterflies. I look away, trying to quash the unmanly feeling in my stomach, still unsure of why she had this peculiar effect on me.

"So, where are you staying?" I look back at her, as she brings me back into the conversation. "I haven't seen you at the hotel. And I've been looking." Her smile freezes and she blinks, as if wondering if she said that out loud, before shaking her head.

"Ah, yeah," I think of an excuse, trying not to laugh, "We have staff quarters closer to the Villa." I stutter the lie into being and shrug, "Staying at the workplace, employers a cheap bastard." I wince at my language, wondering if it's to R rated for her, but she nods it away.

"My aunty and uncle got a villa at the hotel. It's our base, while we sightsee." I nod and let her carry the conversation. "We have a rest day tomorrow, wheel, we're picking it up tomorrow night. All the travelling is catching up on the old ones. They need a sleep in." I laugh and look at her.

"And how old are you?" She glances at me, "you just look too young, to be visiting churches before dawn."

"Oh," She laughs, "Wheel, truthfully since we've been here, I haven't been able to sleep. I wake up and can't get back to sleep, so go explore. If I were home, you wouldn't see me up before 12." She grins. "And I'm nearly eighteen." She says it proudly, like it is a benchmark of achievement. My head immediately pipes up. _She's too young, seventeen is too young, _A flip thought counters, _Nearly eighteen . . . _But I push that away too, _Nearly eighteen, is still seventeen._

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Ah, tommorrow?" I cough awkwardly. _Laying in a machine that sends my mind back five centuries, where seventeen is conveniently, not to young . . .But, I can't tell you that._

"Yeah, maybe we could hangout?" She says it without hesitation, but one look shows her nervousness. _Oh god..._

"Ah, I can't." Her face falls, even though she covers it with a grin straight away.

"That's fine, I just know I'll get bored, is all." She sounds . . . Disappointed.

"I work during the day." I offer, "That's why I'm usually out now, well this early, don't get much time off." She nods appeased.

"Oh, wheel I can't argue with that."

We lapse into a comfortable silence. For the first time in days even my head is silent, as I find something to concentrate on. I watch her feet alternating while they swing, one foot forward, the other back and then vice versa. My eyes move to the charm bracelet the tinkles at her wrist and I pull the sleeve on my left arm further over my hand. When she had spoken of the blades from her dream, I'd hidden my own, in case she saw it. How would I explain that? _Tools of the trade... _She looks at me from the corner of her eye and I realise I'm staring.

"Nice bracelet." I cover and she holds it up with a smile.

"Yeah, my mum left it to me. Apparently it's been passed down in her family for generations." I stare at the trinket, "My aunt and uncle don't know what the symbol means and mum died before she could tell me."

And I keep staring. It was a simple silver chain, hung with multiple charms of the same symbol. But I do, know what the symbol is. I had seen it every day, it used to fly high on banners above this very city and it adorned the seals on the gateway to Altair's statue in the Sanctuary. I take her hand and hold one of the charms closer to my face.

"You've gone back into creeper mode." She says, nervous at my sudden attention to her jewellery. I laugh lightly.

"Sorry, it's just, cool." She nods.

"Wheel, thanks." She looks at me, expectantly and I frown confused. "My hand?" She shakes the hand I'm still holding, "Can I have it back?"

"Yeah, sorry." I let it go, laughing awkwardly. Rolling my eyes at the fact I was acting like a teenager. I move my head suddenly, wincing, as Lucy's voice brings me back to reality.

"_Desmond, It's nearly dawn._" I look at my watch, groaning at the time. I had forgotten to keep an eye on it and a look at the grey horizon, confirmed that the sun was nearly up.

"What's the matter?" She watches me stand confused.

"I have to get back to work, sorry." I hate the look on her face, like she's done something wrong. I offer her a hand as she goes to get up, and am pleased when she takes it. She stands and smiles at my help and I crush the feeling in my stomach, down, until I can't feel it.

"I better get back too. Prepare for my day of nothing." I smile, as she looks up at me. "Wheel, maybe I'll see you here, again?" She says hesitantly.

"Yeah," I mentally face palm at the over eagerness in my voice, reciting, _Seventeen, _over in my head. "Tomorrow?"

"Okay." She nods, and I back away as, Lucy calls out another warning.

"It's a date." I turn and run to the edge of the roof, before she calls out.

"No wait, we're leaving to see some village tonight." I look back at her, immanent sunrise demanding I get back to the Sanctuary now, voice in my head demanding I set up our next meeting first.

"When do you get back?" I call out urgently and she shakes her hands, as though it will help her remember.

"I- I don't know." She finishes lamely, dropping her hands. Thoughts race through my head, at the telling off I know I will get from Lucy, that a new argument had started between the various voices in my head, the fact that this girl dreams of assassins and has a bracelet adorned with the assassins symbol, that she was definitely wearing pyjamas, but louder then all those, was the fact that I had to see her again.

"Don't worry, I'll come see you when you get back." I smile at her and leap the distance between the rooftops. Urgency adding wings to my feet, as I leave her staring after me. I make it back to the Sanctuary, faster than ever before and lean against the wall in the stairwell, breathing hard.

"_Desmond!_" Lucy's voice leaves my ear ringing and I pull the earpiece from it.

"I'm here!" I yell down the stairs and in moments, she's standing at the bottom, looking at me.

"What's the deal? It's not a joke Desmond! You can't be out there for that long! Why do you keep pushing it?" I try to wave her away, but she moves closer. "No, I'm serious. Do you want to get caught? Is that it? You're going through a rebellious phase? This is real life, if you get hurt, it's real, you don't just desynchronise and go back to before it happened. We don't live in the animus!"

"You don't." I spit my reply back, with more venom then I had intended and see the hurt on her face.

_She's just worried about you,_ my head say's, _She's looking out for you. _But as always there's another voice waiting to reply, _Is she? Or is she just making sure you last long enough to serve your purpose? I mean isn't that William guy, warning her against getting to close_? I push myself up and walk past her, as she stands, stunned, on the stairwell.

"Have a nice wander, did you?" Shaun say's sarcastically. "Get a good look at the cell waves, giving away our position?" I roll my eyes at him and drop into the animus. The high of seeing Lucia, giving way to annoyance, at the other two.

"You alright Des?" Rebecca asks quietly, as she hooks me up to the machine. I sigh and look at her.

"Is it too much to ask for a little time to myself?" She nods understandingly.

"I hear you brother." I close my eyes and think of Lucia's bracelet as I wait for the familiar white surroundings of the 'loading screen'. _Remember to tell Rebecca about it, she might have some theories._

* * *

><p>C:\AllUsers\Administrator: New Database<p>

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: Database\Animus 2.0

C:Initiating...

C:MHAIRA,exe\Initiated _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd start\MHAIRI,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE two

C:MHAIRI,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE two starting _

* * *

><p>I frown at the lack of progress and open my eyes, complaint already half said, before I stop.<p>

"What's happening, I'm not-" I look around at the empty black space, "Loading." I trail off and lean forward to get up, only to find I'm already standing. "Okay, this is new." I walk around and there's nothing in all directions. Like an "anti-loading screen."

I spin around, feeling something behind me, but there's nothing there. I blow air through my lips and turn back around to find the shining outline of Lucia smiling at me. Only it's assassin Lucia, not rooftop Lucia. She silently beckons me and turns, sprinting away.

"Wait!" I yell and take off after her, but the faster I run, the further she seems to get. I put my head down and sprint with all I've got, with no success. Just as I'm about to give up, I feel the familiar lurch, as the memory finishes loading and I'm thrust behind the eyes of Ezio.

_I smile, seeing all the furtive glances she shoots at me, all the secretive looks. I don't try and lie to myself, I was enjoying them. She was an attractive girl, with a lot of talent. I hadn't even seen her moving through the crowd and I had only seen her after she had already plunged her blade into the target's chest. Too late to change course, too late to stop myself from falling on the pair, having already leapt from the building I had been watching him from._

_We stop at the dottore and I buy her medicine, she thanks me in perfect Italian, her accent strange to my ears, but pleasing. The courtesans hide us from probing eyes as we make our way to the Timber Island Hideout. I look her over, and everything about her is strange, but not obvious. She moves like a thief, fluid and sure, but the quality of her clothing is good, betraying her upper class status._

_She is young, but her experience is that of a master, she had proved it as she fought the guards. No doubt she would have managed all of them, without the help from me and my recruits. She is quiet, but I can tell she is taking in all the information around her. I meet her eyes and she looks away quickly, embarrassed that she has been caught. I smile indulgently._

"_What brings you to Roma?" I ask the foreign assassin._

"_A contract." She replies, offering no more information._

"_Yes, I think I should apologise for interrupting." She stops, glaring at me._

"_That was you?" I see the fire in her eyes, absolute fury, and feel my lip twitch in amusement._

"_I was unaware of your presence, if had of known I would not have interfered. Forgive me." She calms slightly and we continue walking, "But that brings me to why I did not know you were here. It is a common courtesy to let the home Guild know that you will be in the city. So no," I look at her, "Interruptions occur." She breaks the eye contact._

"_Yes, my apology for that, I didn't think I would be in town long enough to need to forewarn your guild." She pointedly keeps her face turned away, "If things had gone to plan, I would have been gone by tonight."_

"_What, no visit?" My attempt to joke with her, fails and she gives me a panicked look._

"_I was nay told it was an offense, not to inform the governing guild." Her accent thickens with her panic. I grab her by the shoulders and stop her, giving her a light shake._

"_No warning is needed, bella, it was a joke." I search her face to make sure she understood, before straightening up. "Is there something wrong?" She looks away, avoiding my eyes._

"_No, I am just a long way from home. Everything here is strange. I am still trying to adjust. And my ankle still pains me." That's not all, I can tell, but I let it go._

"_If you are sure?" I don't sound convinced and neither does she when she replies._

"_I am." She drops her face but I see the way her body tenses._

"_Your ankle?" She nods, lifting the foot from the ground._

"_Rookie mistake, not looking before I leap." She admonishes herself._

"_Here lean on me." I laugh, pulling her arm over my shoulder. I don't let her resist the other arm I wrap around her waist and then I grin down at her as she looks up at me, slightly flustered. "We're nearly there." I make the remainder of the trip particularly awkward for her, holding her a little too tight, looking at her a little too long and leaning a little closer each time I spoke. I enjoy the way she flushes at my touch and feel a small sense of familiarity._

"_You will need to keep off that foot for awhile," I say and she scowls at the advice._

_"Wheel, thank you for that piece of brilliance, doctor."_ This one will be a challenge, _I think to myself, then add, _a challenge, that I bet is worth completing. _"I need to leave as soon as possible. I need to get back to my guild."_

"_Your guild? Does that make you a master?" She gives a slight shake of her head, under her hood._

"_No, I am an assassin, but it belongs to me, as much as I belong to it. It's in my blood." The statement strikes a chord and I agree completely._

"_Yes." I reply simply. "Here we are." We stop at the stairs to the doorway. I nod my thanks to the courtesans who escorted us and they move away, voices plying at prospective customers, smiles of temptation on their faces. The girl lowers her arm from my shoulder and stares at the door._

"_This is the guild headquarters?" She eyes the door, as though it is a living thing._

"_For Roma." I say, nodding._

_I watch her limp down the steps and follow behind. She gets to the bottom step, before her ankle gives way and she stumbles with a small cry. I catch her, arm once again around her waist. I lift her slowly, pulling her against me. _Now or never, _I think to myself. My turn, to be eyed by the girl, who is unsure of what to do. She's still holding her arm up and I see her thumb and little finger spread, noticing her blade is on the right, rather than the traditional left and that she's close to activating it._

_I raise my left hand slowly and place it on her blade, before pushing the arm down. I smile and lean forward slowly, trying not to spook her as I search her face again. I see a mixture of confusion, panic, surprise and outrage. And there, a faint glimmer, well hidden by the other emotions clouding her face, the sign I was looking for. I smile as I recognise it, only faintly detectable, but it _was_ there. Eagerness. I close the gap between our lips._

"_Ezio!" Her face snaps to the speaker, our lips barely grazing in the process. I sigh my greeting onto her cheek, frustrated._

"_Leonardo." I look up at him, silently cursing his bad timing. "What do you want?" My voice is more forceful then I intend, but it is not noticed by my friend, who still hadn't realised he is interrupting. He holds up a finger and begins rummaging in his robes. I look back at the girl and smile my apology. "We can continue this later, perhaps?"_

"_Ezio?" She repeats my name and I nod._

"_Si." Her eyes widen and I'm confused by her shock, as she pushes me away, limping to lean against the wall. My quizzical look is wasted, as I am, once again, interrupted._

"_Here, I was just coming to see you." He holds out my double blade, and I begrudgingly nod my thanks, the girl, now keeping her eyes firmly on the ground. "You really need to be more careful Ezio, or you'll need and entirely new one made." Leonardo comments, as I strap the blade to my right arm. He looks over at the girl. "Are you alright?"_

_She slowly raises her eyes to him and he points at the blood on her. She nods mutely and returns her eyes to the ground. I wave him away and see that she, once again, has her defences up. I would have to work twice as hard for her now, _Not that I mind, _I concede, still looking at her, _it makes the victory all the more worthwhile._ I keep the conversation with Leonardo short, saying that I have an injured visitor to attend to and he nods._

"_I hope you are feeling better soon, Miss... I didn't get your name?" She looks up and her eyes flick between the two of us._

"_Mhairi."_

"_Ah, bello, Scottish yes? Gealic? For Mary?" She nods and Leonardo smiles warmly at her, "Well I hope we meet again, goodbye my friend." He finishes, turning to me. We clasp hands and I watch as he walks away. I make my way back to the girl, but when I reach out to help her she shies away._

"_I can manage from here, thank you." I bow at her wishes and push open the door to the Assassin Guild, watching her limp through and following after._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

C:\Login:._

C:\Login: AllUsers\Administrator

C:\Administrator Password: _

C:\Administrator Password: **********

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: _

C:\AllUsers\Administrato: cmd run file\EZIO,exe

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator:Database\LUCIA McCLAREN

C:Initiating...

C:EZIO,exe\Initiated_

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd start\EZIO,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE two

C:EZIO,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE two starting _

* * *

><p><em>How could I be so weak? Surprise was an assassin's best weapon and I had failed to account for it. How could I not trust my instincts? I suspected and <em>STILL _he caught me off guard. I try and keep my eyes to the ground. Shame, wells up inside me every time I look at him and yet, I can't, not, look at him. My eyes flick from his hands, to his face and then away, each time the shame becomes almost unbearable._

_He wraps my ankle with the quickness and efficiency of a doctor, placing the bandage, with deft pulls, rolls and tugs. He checks the tightness, ensuring it won't cut off circulation to my foot, then finally nods his approval._

"_That should do it." He pulls the chair from under him and rests my foot on it. I stare at my bandaged ankle, but feeling his eyes on me, mine flick up of their own accord. He stands there, with that look, before moving forward and sitting next to me. "We have let the Mercenaries and Thieves know you are here," He looks sideways at me, "So they don't worry, when you don't show up."_

"_You're too, kind." My voice comes out mockingly, without me intending it to, as I turn to the wall, facing away from him. _Do not turn around, _I instruct myself, _Nothing good will come of it. He was never meant to mix, with the likes of you. That's why he doesn't know who you are._ I close my eyes at my own harsh thoughts and find solace in the comforting 'What if?' thoughts, that followed. _It's only natural for me to want to see, him. When you grow up hearing about someone and you get the chance to meet them, talk to them, to simply_ KNOW_, even the tiniest thing about them, you do not let the chance pass you by._ A hand on my arm brings me back to reality._

"_Are you all right?" I turn to face him, but keep my eyes from his face._

"_I am," I search for the word, "__angosciato?__" I look at him and shake my head, "tired," I make excuses, "And sore." It wasn't a complete lie, my back, where the mace had hit, was beginning to throb. But I couldn't tell him. Not like this. We were meant to meet as equals, a successful mission here would have elevated me to Master Assassin in my guild. Instead he had 'rescued' me and then carried me to safety. I was not a damsel in distress, I did not need saving and he would learn that._

"_You need rest," I meet his eye too late to see the mischievous glimmer there. I suck in air, surprised, as he scoops me up, arm automatically wrapping around his neck, to balance myself. He gives me that smile that makes my stomach twist. My lips curve up, unbidden, as he sets off through the building and my head is invaded by shouted thoughts. _What are you doing? I thought you said you weren't a damsel in distress?_ Any feeling other then shame is squashed by that voice. _Stop this idiocy and get down girl!_ I grip the assassin's shoulder tight and he gives me an inquisitive look. _

"_We're nearly at the room bella, can't you wait?" He didn't look like he would be bothered if I couldn't wait, for whatever, he thought I wanted. _So smug, no wonder it happened as it did, who could resist that. _I push away from him slightly, but he moves his arms cradling me closer. I look at him, wanting to drive my thumb down his collarbone, forcing him to let me go. But my head overrides, _He is still a master assassin_... It cautions._

"_Thank you for your help, but I can walk. Please, put me down." He looks my face over, then nods, lowering me to the ground gently, but not letting go completely. Not giving an inch I straighten and come face to face with him. _You are of the Clan Gregor, your blood is royal, never forget who you are, who _HE _is. _My resolve hardens and I look evenly at the man._ He will only win if you let him... _The thought trails off and I lean back._

"_If we are just going to stand here, I might as well steal a horse and go the Thieves Guild. I'm more likely to get rest there anyway, the rate we're going." I turn, shaking my head and limp towards the door of the hideout, relieved to find I can put pressure on my strapped ankle. He stops me before I get there._

"_No, please, I will take you to the room." I breathe a quiet sigh of relief that he hadn't pushed. I turn back and look at the arm he offers, "For support only." He reassures me and I take it. We get to the room quickly, even with my ankle. He pushes open the door for me and I stare in at the room, dropping his arm._

"_If this is the way assassins live in your guild, I think I need to relocate." I step in to the room and stare at the bed. It's huge, four posts at each corner, carved polished head board rising at the back and large windows rising either side.. A far cry from the dormitory, at my guild, back home. A fire place dominates the wall to the right and I imagine it blazing in winter._

"_All assassins here have rooms like this?" I ask, shuffling over to the bed. His lack of response deafens me and I look at him expectantly. When he still doesn't answer I frown at him, until he does, pleased to see him fidget slightly, under my gaze._

"_Well, no, this is my room," I let out a frustrated sigh and move back towards the door, shaking my head. "But," He steps in front of me, blocking the doorway, and I unsheathe my blade at him. He holds his open hands up, palms out, in a truce, "Mhairi, I am willing to lend you the room for tonight, I have business to attend to later, so I won't be using it."_

_I eye him warily, for the umpteenth time in the last hour. I ignore the thrill shooting through me, at this uninterrupted view of him, and study his face, looking for the truth in his words. Finally, satisfied that he spoke the truth, I sheath my blade and lower my arms._

"_Okay, but you keep your hand's to yourself," we both hear my blade slide back out. "And, your lips."_

_He nods his acquiescence, turning it into a slight bow, his gaze not breaking from mine. I see a gleam, behind the soft brown of his eyes, which hints of other ideas. Before I can point it out, a throb of pain, from my back distracts me. I don't double over, so much as lean forward and tense, squeezing my eyes shut, as the throb increases. I wait for it to pass, but it does not._

_I don't open my eyes as I feel his hand on me, expertly leading me back to the bed. He pushes me gently down on it, until I lay on my stomach. I feel him move my cloak from my shoulders and click his tongue in surprise. The throb increases and I hold my breath, not trusting my mouth to let out the air quietly. I feel pressure on my waist and my eyes spring open as I twist, blade springing forward. He catches my arm and forces it back down on the bed, new waves of pain spreading from the wound left by the mace._

"_I need to put the salve on, bella, it will help." I don't struggle, but blow the air through my lips slowly, highly aware of his hands rummaging in my robes for the salve. I think of all the adrenaline that must have been pumping through my veins in order for me to have ignored it this long. I feel uneasy, as he tugs my jacket up and the top underneath, until my back is left bare. But the pain pushes, even that, from my mind. _

"_Ah, I will be back in a moment." I hear him leave the room. My head swims, as the pain worsens and I flinch when I feel his hands. He lets out a quiet laugh as his hands move over my burning back._

"_The guards have taken to lacing their weapons with a poison." He explains, as the pain lessens slightly, coolness spreading from under his fingers. I let out a breath and manage to open my eyes. "It works slowly, makes you feel like you're on fire, but is not fatal. We have and elixir that lessens the effects. Though you may still feel it for awhile. Until the poison has been neutralised."_

_The elixir worked fast and the pain soon started to recede in the areas his hands had already passed over._

"_You're blade." I move my hand at his comment._

"_What about it?"_

"_You wear it on the right. Is that customary in your country?" I shake my head _

"_No, I just, find it easier. Grand Master had no problem with me wearing it on the right, he didn't think it would lessen my skill." I chuckle, "It hasn't lessened his."_

"_You're Grandmaster wear's his on the right?"_

"_He say's not all assassins are the same, each should use their weapons in a way that best benefit's their ability." I pull my hands under my chin. "What of you? How do you wear two blades at once?"_

"_Ah, that is due to the brilliance of Leonardo."_

"_The man from the stairs?" His face pops up in my mind._

"_Si."_

"_He is not an assassin?"_

"_No. He is an inventor. Leonardo Da Vinci." I pause._

"_The, Leonardo Da Vinci?"_

"_You know of him?"_

"_Aye, he's a great artist and inventor and-" Something clicks in my head. I look over my shoulder at the man. He meets my eye with a look of pure innocence on his face, his hands still on my lower back. "I was not hit there."_

"_Best to be sure." I pull my shirts back down giving him a disapproving look, and rolling into a sitting position._

"_I think I will be fine now, grazie." I say pointedly._

"_If you're sure?" He gives me that look. The one suggesting I made need those healing hands somewhere else. I give him a stiff nod._

"_I'm sure." The door to the room bursts open and my eyes snap towards the culprit, blade up instinctively. The assassin takes a step back, absorbing the image he sees._

"_Forgive me Grand Master, I did not know you had," He looks at me and settles for, "Company."_

"_Ah, Vittorio, you have returned. The mission?"_

"_Successful. That is one Templar agent we don't need to worry about, any longer. But again forgive me, I will wait downstairs to give you a full report."_

"_I will be down soon." Ezio nods to the man, as he backs out with a bow, closing the door._

"_Take your time, Grand Master." I hear the derision in his voice, as the door clicks shut and take it as a personal insult, even more so at the smirk Ezio hides, as he looks back to me._

"_I will take my leave and let you get some rest." I nod sarcastically, giving him a foul look. "Sleep well Mhairi." He departs with a smile. THAT_ _smile. It infuriates me. And yet, it doesn't._

_The thoughts explode in my head as he closes the door. Berating me for getting into the situation I was in. For letting him think he could ever, have a chance with me. For me thinking, COULD he have a chance with me . . . I groan and fall back on the bed as the thoughts swirl in my head, then groan again at the flash of pain from the mace wound on my back, which had now dulled to a bearable throb, with the elixir and salve._

_I pull myself onto the bed and drag myself to the middle, smothering my head with a pillow as though it will block out the invisible voices._

You can't just sleep. What if he comes in?_ I sigh inwardly, _He's a Grand Master and this is his room. If he wants to get in, I doubt a lock is going to stop him. _Another thought replies, _But would you want it to, if it could?_ I open my eyes under the pillow. _No one would know, if you didn't tell him, no one would find out._ I throw the pillow along with the thought, away from me._

"_No." My voice sounds convinced, but the doubt is in my mind. I drop my head back to the bed and wait for sleep to take me._

* * *

><p>Something wakes me. I open bleary eyes to see a shape climbing in my window. I push myself back and the figure looks up.<p>

"Ezio?" I squint at him.

"What?" Desmond pulls his leg over the sill and stands. I breathe, and wave a dismissive hand, then rub my eyes.

"Sorry, I'm still half asleep."

"Were you expecting someone else?" I look up at him.

"No, I thought I was still dreaming." I laugh, "So don't think, men climbing in my window is a common occurrence."

"Oh." He nods and I look at him, realising what I had just said.

"Wait, did you just climb through my window?" He scratches his head, awkwardly, and looks back at the open window.

"Ah, yeah. I tried to knock, but you didn't move." He shoots me an equally awkward grin, "If it helps, the window was already open." I raise an eyebrow.

"Should I be worried?" I give him a playful smile, as it occurs to me that, I really didn't mind, him, climbing through my window. "What are you doing here?" I lean forward and pat the end of the bed.

"Ah," He sit's without hesitation, but puts his hands in his pockets, "I told you I'd come see you when you got back."

"Oh, I thought you meant, like, during the day, through the door." I wave at it.

"So, what were you dreaming about?" He changes the subject completely, but I shrug it off.

"Oh it was part two of the last dream, kinda. See Ezio, dream you," I clarify, "yeah, he like is fully a Grand Master Assassin, and he's totally digging me." I brag, "But I'm all messed up about it." I lean back on my pillows. "I don't get it, there's like so many voices thinking at me, her, and she wants him, but not, you know, like maybe not in the way he wants her." He nods, in a confused way.

"Oh, and I got poisoned by a . . ." I try to remember the name, "Mace? From the fight, before. You fixed it though, wheel tried to fix a lot more..." I chuckle, "But it's weird, they don't seem like dreams. More like memories you know, like I was really there."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." He stares at the ground. He says it like he knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"You alright?"

"Just work, get's to me sometimes." I nod.

"Yeah, me too. Wheel, not work, but stuff in general." He gives me a smile and I can suddenly hear my heart beat in my ears. "So how'd you know this was my room?"

"Uh, I just got lucky I guess." He stutters. I raise an eyebrow, "I may have looked in a few windows."

"Woah, stalker much?" I laugh and then freeze, as I hear a noise in the next room. "You have to hide," my voice drops to a whisper and I reach out and grab his arm, "now, if my aunt or uncle see you, they are going to freak." I hear the faint creak out in the hall and panic. I lift my blankets and pull him forward, under them.

"Lay flat!" I hiss at him, shoving him over to the wall and bunching up the blankets on top. I shove pillows on his face, less then gentle and lay back down on my side, grabbing my phone. The door creaks open and I look up to see my aunts face peering in.

"Is it too loud?" I smother the speaker of my phone on the mattress.

"Oh, it's just your music, I thought I heard voices."

"Oh sorry, I'll turn it off." I fumble with my phone, oozing regret.

"No, no, just down will be fine. Try and get some more sleep though, we've only been back a few hours."

"Okay, night aunty." She smiles at me and closes the door. I let out a huge sigh of relief and drop my face to the pillow, shaking it, at my luck.

"Is the coast clear?" Desmond's muffled question comes from through the pillow. I pull it from his face and look at him, eyes wide.

"That was SO close." I let out another breath of relief and grin, "But she didn't have her glasses on, if it had of been my uncle, we may not have been so lucky." Jubilation shoots through me at the close call. I could imagine my aunt now, walking in and seeing Desmond, she would most likely have called the police. And uncle, he would have thrown him back out the window. My grin must be infectious, because soon enough he's grinning back at me.

"You know I could've gone out the window." I blink and shake my head.

"Yeah, sorry I just panicked." I laugh. "I'm not always the best in stressful situations."

"I dunno, you did pretty well just then."

"Thank you." I take the compliment with a smile. "So what do you do? Why do you start so early and stuff?" I lay down, watching him.

"Oh, uh like... restoration." It sounds more like a question, than an answer and after a moment he adds, "And history."

"You work at, history." He stares at the roof.

"Yeah, we go through, uh, archives and document facts for reference."

"You're an historian?" he chuckles.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Sounds intense."

"You have no idea." I purse my lips.

"Tell me about it." I wait.

And he does, or at least I think he does, after a few minutes I can feel my eyes getting heavy again, his low voice like a lullaby. I try and resist, but pretty soon, I give in to sleep.

* * *

><p>AN: The Clan Gregor is real. I chose it because of it's history, but if any of that Clan disagree with me using it, please let me know and I will change it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

C:\Login: _

C:\Login: AllUsers\Administrator

C:\Administrator Password: _

C:\Administrator Password: **********

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd run file\MHAIRI,exe

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: Database\DESMOND MILES

C:Initiating...

C:MHAIRA,exe\Initiated _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd start\\MEMORY SEQUENCE three

C:MHAIRI,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE three starting _

* * *

><p><em>Nothing.<em>

That's what I could hear in my head. Just my own voice thinking, _I can't hear anything_. And it's great. My smile widens to a grin and I lay there soaking in the oblivion.

_Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep._

My eyes snap open as Lucia stirs next to me. I must have gone to sleep, because I hadn't felt myself move closer, or noticed my arm slip under her head. I reach around and push at my wrist, until the alarm, on the watch goes quiet and then look back at the sleeping girl, who settles when the noise stops. She only lasted fifteen minutes, after I started telling her about all of the fake "historical research" we were doing. But I wasn't put out. This was the first real bed I had been in, in awhile.

_I miss mattresses,_ _I miss going out whenever I feel like it, I miss waking up next to a pretty girl. Hell, I even miss serving drunks. I miss my head, being MY head. Like right now, I'm thinking, but it's just ME thinking, not a whole lot of me's._

Lucia murmurs something in her sleep as I watch. I have to go, I know I have to go, I had set the alarm, so I wouldn't get back late. The last thing I needed was another "You can't keep pushing it," speech from Lucy, I was trying to ease the tension, keep to the rules. _But_... I still didn't want to leave. It was a classic example of 'want' versus 'need'. This time, 'need' overrules.

_But, not yet, five more minutes._

She was strange. How many girls would hide the guy, that wasn't meant to be in their room, in their bed? And then start up a conversation and then feel comfortable enough to fall asleep. I'm pretty much a complete stranger. She doesn't even know me but she didn't freak, when she woke up and realised it was me climbing in her window.

_You don't know her, but you're still here. _I nod to myself. _It's gotta have something to do with these memories. I have to figure it out._

Especially, after what happened in the animus. They said I was out, even after they unhooked me from the machine, I was just, dead to the world, for like twenty minutes. I woke when Ezio and Mhairi, entered the Guild hideout. When I came around and asked if they'd seen the memory, they'd looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Because I was, I was speaking Italian. For a couple of minutes after, it sounded fine to me, until they pointed it out. Then I stopped, went back to English. They asked what I saw. And I don't know why, but I lied and said I couldn't remember.

_So why is she seeing stuff, even the animus didn't see? Is she... reliving memories on her own? How? I see visions, but they're from the bleeding effect- _

My train of thought is broken, as the girl in question, stretches and rolls, settling half on top of me. My eyes widen and I stare at the ceiling awkwardly, as she breathes on my neck. _Definitely miss that._ I take a few breathes, and my departure time is decided for me._ Okay, definitely time to go, _I think to myself, glad she wasn't awake. I manoeuvre from under her and am in the process of pulling the blankets back over her, when she raises her hand up at me. I look at it, then at her face.

Her eyes are open, but she isn't awake. She looks at me and I see someone else looking back. _Mhairi. _The name springs into my head, as she blinks and she goes back to being Lucia. She squints through one eye, and I push her arm back under the blanket.

"It's just me. I gotta go. Go back to sleep." I keep my voice low, so I don't wake her more then she already was, and she nods, nuzzling her face further into the pillow. "See you later." I smile, her eyes are closed and her breathing has deepened again. I take a risk and lean down, and press my lips against her cheek. She smiles faintly as I move to the window.

"_A presto, Ezio._" I stop, it's her, but it isn't, I can't tell. I look back over my shoulder at her, and then look again. She lies there, shimmering blue, hood loose at her shoulders, bracelet now a hidden blade, glowing white.

"_Ci vediamo, Mhairi."_ The words come from my mouth, but it's not my voice. My sight returns to normal and I slip out of the room, the way I came in.

* * *

><p>I walk around the black space. I wasn't in the animus, as far as I knew I was in my sleeping bag, in the sanctuary. Lucy had been pleasantly surprised that I was back before the sunrise warning and had decided I needed a day's rest after the last incident. It was a waste of time, that, we could be using to track down the Piece of Eden. But until Lucy gave me the all clear, I was banned from the machine. <em>But apparently, there are still memories for me to go through<em>, I think, as I scan the blackness around me.

I hear a tinkling noise, and turn in a full circle to find the source, but see nothing. Then, as I watch, walls seem to form from the nothing. They rise around me like the walls of a maze. I hear the noise again, in front of me and follow it, until the corridor comes to a 'T' intersection. The noise seems to come from both ways, so I take a second look in eagle vision, right, and then left. And there she is, gold face shimmering from around the corner. She beckons like she did the last time, hearing the tinkling noise from her wrist, and I leap after her.

I only catch glimpses of her cape as she disappears around corners, once again, never seeming to catch up to her. If I slowed or lost sight of her, she would appear, with that smile, beckoning me on in the right direction, and then the chase would continue.

"Mhairi! Wait, please." I call out to her, but all she does is look over her shoulder at me and speed up. I lose her and stop, looking this way and that, but she doesn't reappear around any of the corners. I set off again, but, trail to a stop, as I feel the lurch of the memory loading.

* * *

><p><em>I cannot say I am surprised, when I return to the room to find her gone. But I am disappointed. I scan the room one more time, nothing is out of place. Nothing to say, where she has gone. I sigh, but don't let it bother me, <em>I have other matters to attend to_._

_A thief is waiting for me downstairs, with a message to meet La Volpe, at the Thieves Guild. He grins at me as I flick him a gold florin and he departs. I whistle as I walk, and soon hear the hoof beats of my horse. I pull myself up and set off through the crowded street. I have not even reached the bridge to the Antico district, when I feel eyes on me. A group of guards walk past, oblivious. I scan those walking, none flicking me more than a glance, before moving past._

_I look behind and then, satisfied that the attention is not from ground level, begin scanning the roof tops above me. The horse tosses its head as it walks, feeling my unease. I pat its neck and continue to scan, smiling as I catch a glimpse of the watcher above me. I wait, the watcher would make a move soon, otherwise, I would be out in the country side, with flat ground around, and they would lose the height advantage._

No Templar would make a move on me, alone._ I weigh up the options of opponents. I can only see the one watcher and not even the Cento Occhi would come for me alone. Both groups would send many and would opt for an ambush, rather than a one on one attack. Another glimpse and a new thought pops into my mind. _Would she... _It trails off and I wait, slowing slightly, curious to find out who the unknown person was. I wanted to give them time to make their move. The crowd thins and I don't have to wait long. I'm watching the left, the side I had last seen the figure on. So I'm nearly caught off guard when the figure hurls itself at me, from the right. Nearly._

_I move at the last moment. Spinning as I catch her, letting her momentum, pull me from the horse, to land on top of her on the ground. I hear her exhale as we land, a hand holding her blade down, my own blade, at her throat. She sucks in a shuddering breath, and glares at me. I smile down at her, indulgently._

"_I could have killed you." It's a statement. She shrugs under me._

"_If you say so." She stammers, still winded. My smile widens and I pull back my blade slightly, but lean closer._

"_I do." She heaves and shoves me back and I'm surprised by her strength, but still smirk at her, as I get to my feet. I offer her a hand and she grudgingly takes it. Reaching back and rubbing her head wincing, as she does so. "There are less painful ways to get someone's attention." I say, amused._

"_We still have business to clear up." I raise an interested eyebrow at her and she scowls. "The target from yesterday."_

"_Of course. But was it necessary to try and kill me to claim a target?"_

"_The kill was mine. My blade ended his life, yours made the kill messy," she says it with outraged conviction, then looks thoughtful, "You, would have been a bonus." She gives me an unrepentant smirk, and I wonder if she had really been trying to assassinate me. I raise an eyebrow at her._

"_Do you talk to your own Grand Master with that tone." I see her blanch slightly, as I pull rank on her, "Because I know a few who would see punishment as a fit response to it. Not including the attempt on my life."_

"_Forgive me," She nods her apology, "That may have been, excessive." She concedes and I smile._

"_I will let that go, seeing as how you had no chance of succeeding." Her eyes flick back up, burning. I smirk at her and turn my back, whistling for my horse. _If she follows. She follows..._ I hide my smile. as she does just that._

"_You're ankle, seems better." I say it over my shoulder, as she catches up. She looks down at the offending limb._

"_Yes, but back to the target, it was my kill? You won't try to claim it?" She sounds slightly worried, _She doubts my honour._ I catch hold of the reins to my horse, and stop it from wondering further._

"_I will not claim his death, the kill was yours." I look at her and she smiles triumphantly. "Why is it so important?" She looks at me, undecided whether to divulge the information. Then finally, looks away._

"_It will elevate me to Master in my guild." My eyes widen._

"_Master?" She nods, "How old are you?"_

"_Old enough." She answers, defiantly, and I tilt my head at her, giving her the eye that only a Grand Master could. "Seventeen, Grand Master." She adds the title so I know she wouldn't have answered otherwise._

"_Such a rank, at only seventeen?" Her eyes dart around her, like a thief waiting to be caught. "I am going to the Thieves Guild, to see La Volpe. Would you do me the honour of accompanying me?" She pulls her hood further over her face and nods._

"_I have to see him before I leave." I pull myself up onto the horse as she answers and then look down at her, wondering if she will ride with me, but my unasked question, is answered when she whistles out herself. She holds her hand up to the neck of the black mare that trots over to her, and pulls herself up. I give her an impressed look, as we set off_

"_So, Mhairi, how is it you reach master, at such a young age?" She lets the horse guide itself and closes her eyes, raising her face to the sun._

"_I trained hard, I did what was asked of me," She shrugs, "I have been training a long time." I watch her from the corner of my eye, slightly amazed that one so young could make herself sound so old._

"_How long?" I keep the momentum of the conversation going, while she seems willing to give answers. She frowns slightly and lowers her face, opening her eyes._

"_Years. Since I was born. Ten years at my Guild." My eyes narrow and she looks at me smiling, "The proudest day, of my mother's life."_

"_You're mother is an assassin?"_

"_No, she was..." she pauses, "an enthusiast. My father was. Is." She looks away from me. "But he was not around, so, she trained me. Well," She grins, "Sort of, like I said, she was not an assassin."_

"_When, you say was?" Her eyes darken, and she looks away._

"_She was killed. A year ago." She says it bluntly, but I catch the twinge in her voice, that betrays her pain._

"_I know`, all too well, the feeling of loosing family" The sympathy in my voice is genuine, "I am sorry."_

"_So was he..." She says it vaguely, quietly, as though unconsciously airing a thought, but I still ask._

"_Who was?" She tenses, realising she had said it aloud. I see indecision in her posture, as she remains silent for a moment._

"_My father, he had her poisoned, so he could marry again." I frown._

"_I thought you said he wasn't around?" She sits straighter in the saddle, stiff at my enquiry. "He came back to kill her?"_

"_No." She says it loud and fast, almost cutting me off and spinning to face me. Her face hardens at the outburst and she regains her composure, facing forward once again. "My father, the man who raised me, was not my real father. He did not know, but my mother, she never hid it from me. I knew. So when I found out, what he had done, I made sure he followed her into deaths embrace, soon after."_

_She says it as though the justice she dealt was still a bitter blow. I watch the path way and we ride in silence, as I feel my heart go out to the girl. I feel the need to ease her, very clear pain, but without knowing more, cannot find words to help. I take a shot in the dark._

"_Was he a cruel man? Your father, the one who raised you?" Her eyes take on a distant look as she answers._

"_Not to me. I was his only child, he treated me like a princess. If I wanted something, I only had to ask." She strokes the mane of her horse, a small smile on her face. "Sometimes I wouldn't even have to ask." The smile turns foul and her face hardens. "But he had my mother poisoned. When I confronted him he said, 'Eudail, You are my pride and joy, but I need an heir, and she, has not given me one.' " Her voice is flat, but I see the look in her eyes, as she speaks, reliving the moment._

_Further attempts at conversation are useless, and we ride the remaining way in silence. We wind our way through the ruins of Roma and soon the Thieves Guild is in front of us. She pulls her horse to a stop and I do the same, giving her a look of enquiry, as she dismounts._

"_Please tell La Vople, I will be along soon, I must see the blacksmith." I nod at her._

"_When will you leave?"_

"_Soon, I must get back to my guild." The flat tone in her voice has been replaced by hidden excitement. "It was good to meet you, Ezio. I doubt we will see each other before I go."_

"_And you. Perhaps our paths will cross again." She shrugs, slightly._

"_Perhaps. And, Grand Master..." She gives me a ghost of a smile, and puts her hand into her robes. I raise an eyebrow. "If I had wanted you dead, you would have been, as soon as you left your guild." She flicks something straight at me. I reach out and catch the projectile, before it hits my face, and when I look back she's gone. I scan around, but once again there is no sign of her. I open my hand and grin tossing up my money bag. I hadn't even felt her take it. And she was right, the only time she would have had a chance was when I was on foot, after first leaving the Timbre Island Hideout. _

"_Ezio." I look up at La Volpe, on the steps of the Thieves Guild and look around one last time, smiling as I replace the money bag, before moving forward to greet the man._

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry, I feel like the story is starting to wander, if you have a problem, you know what to do. Also, from now on I will be splitting the chapters to Now and Then, to shorten them, I get the feeling they may be too long. Anyway, for those following, enjoy.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

C:\Login:._

C:\Login: AllUsers\Administrator

C:\Administrator Password: _

C:\Administrator Password: **********

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: _

C:\AllUsers\Administrato: cmd run file\EZIO,exe

C:Database _

C:\AllUsers\Administrator:Database\LUCIA McCLAREN

C:Initiating...

C:EZIO,exe\Initiated_

C:\AllUsers\Administrator: cmd start\EZIO,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE Three

C:EZIO,exe\MEMORY SEQUENCE three starting _

* * *

><p>"<em>So..." I stare at the page, reading it for the tenth time and ignoring the inquiry from the man next to me.<em>

Saluti/Fàilte Alasdair,

I am writing to give you forewarning of my presence in your

guilds territory, in the coming weeks. I am eager to make

use of your guild, while I am there, with your permission, of course.

I will send word when I arrive.

Respectfully,

Ezio Auditori da Firenze

_I read over parts of it, again,_ of my presence in your guilds territory... I will send word when I arrive..._ I force my breathing to stay normal, refusing to allow it to follow the same fast and erratic beat, that my heart had decided to thrum to, after reading the letter the first time._

_It had been over a year since I had last seen him, yet I still felt the pictsies flutter around in my stomach, at the knowledge that was about to change._

"_Mhairi? What does it say?" I pull the letter back fast, as the man moves to snatch it from me, before glaring back at him._

"_The point of taking the letter, if tha' were even possible, would be?" I drawl at him, "You cannae read."_

"_Tha's why I asked you, what it said." He shoots back, pouting slightly. I roll my eyes at the childish behaviour, and sigh._

"_Uilleam, you're too old to be sulking like a toddler." He folds his arms and looks away stonily, in response. So I relent. "A foreign assassin, is giving notice tha' he will be in the area, soon. Tha' is all."_

"_Then why are you, so excited?" I flick my eyes to his, at the accusation, keeping myself from stiffening._

"_And what makes you say tha'?" He smirks at me, my reaction clearly confirming his suspicions._

"_Mebbe, your right, I cannae read words, but I can read people. An' you, are oozing excitement."_

"_Then I would say your people reading skills are, as about as good, as your word reading skills." I blow off his accusation, shaking my head with as much indifference as I can muster. "Where's Connel?" I watch his eyes narrow slightly, at my change of subject, but eventually he sighs and accepts it._

"_He's gone with Gormal."_

"_Does Grand Master know?" I raise an eyebrow._

"_Aye, he was the one who sent them. He is calling back all recruits and assassins, but will nae say why."_

_I purse my lips as he drops down into a chair. That was unusual, even for Grand Master Alasdair Gregor, who could usually be defined as unusual, by Grand Master Assassin standards._

"_He has nae said anything to you?" I look up at him and shake my head, and he shrugs. "Wheel, I'm sure if it were important, you would know." We are interrupted by the quiet cry of a baby. Uilleam grabs my arm as I turn. "I'll get him," he said, eyes shining, "I have nae seen the bairn awake in days."_

_I watch him as he rushes to the side room and returns with a quieted bundle, in his arms._

"_Look at tha', he knows his uncle Willy, dontcha, yes you do." I smile, as he coo's at the child. He had that affect on the guild, did our youngest member. He balls up his small fists and gurgles in unintelligible delight, at the rough looking man holding him._

_When members were present, there was no end to the amount of willing arms, to hold him. I sigh, he was not a demanding child, even with the amount of attention he received, he was still perfectly happy to be left in his cot to settle himself for sleep. I would stand in the doorway and watch him talk in the language I no longer understood, until he fell off to sleep._

_Though, when I found out I was to be a mother I was less than happy, I knew now, I would die, rather than be without him. Even when he brought nothing, but interruptions and distraction to my life and probably to those around me. I smirk, he would be a leader, even at this young age, commanding the attention of all around him._

"_Gwary, Gwary, Gwary." Uilleam chants the child's nickname, which I hadn't yet decided I liked, over and over as he bounces him in his arms, each bounce getting a new peal of laughter. "Look how much he's grown. Almost as tall as me aren't you?" He holds the child under the arms and sways him from side to side, much to the Guaire's delight._

_The child shoves a fist into his mouth and chews mercilessly on it, reaching out to share the shiny, saliva covered appendage, with Uilleam, "Are you hungry, little man? Yes you are, aren't you." He steps over to me and passes the boy, who looks up at me with a toothless smile, that puts the feeling I had had at reading the letter, to shame. "Here we go, go to your ma."_

_I take the squirming mass from him and the boy grips at my hair, endeavouring to climb me, I feel his small legs kicking through the blankets and chuckle. _Just like your mother, _I think down at the small face, _And your seanair, who you may get to meet in a few weeks.

_My turn to be gurgled at, as he removes the hand from his mouth, a string of saliva stretching to breaking point, between the two. I reach up and wipe them, receiving a face scrunch of annoyance, from the child. Uilleam looks fondly from the child to me, after tweaking his nose._

"_I will leave you to it. I have my own orders to be following," he makes a face, "even assassin's need supplies." I let out a laugh, as he grabs a satchel from the cupboard. "I will be back soon."_

_I take a seat and let the child feed, now alone. My head returns to my earlier thought. _His seanair... His seanair doesn't even know he has a daughter, how would he react at having a grandson, as well._ The second thoughts, that always followed during the conversations I had with myself about Ezio, were quick to join in. _He doesn't have to know.

_I stop it there. _Guaire is my son, I will never hide the fact._ It was becoming easier to calm the unruly thoughts that usually dominated my head. One look at the child, could keep them quiet for hours._

_Now fed he is happy to lay, tugging on his feet and talking away to an invisible object above him. I sit and watch, hood, over my head, as he reaches out for the bracelet that hangs above him. A bracelet, that I once wore as a child._

_My eyes narrow, remembering something that used to be important, _Not something, someone._ A frown creases my face as I struggle through the haze of my childhood memories and a name springs to mind._

"_Eion..." Guaire looks and gives me a toothless grin, as if recognising the name, and I look back surprised. "Do you know who tha' is my darling?" He kicks his legs and chatters away and I feel a presence enter the room, but don't let myself react._

_The closer it moves, the tenser I get. I grit my teeth and whirl, fingers splayed, blade at the throat of the intruder. He looks up from the blade, to my face, a slow smile creeping across his own._

"_And here I was thinking I had gotten better at creeping." I tilt my head at him._

"_You have," I shrug, "You're just not as good as me." I nod at him leniently. "I'll spare your life this time, don't let it happen again." I let myself grin, retracting my blade, as he pulls me up into his arms._

"_I missed you." He murmurs, nuzzling my neck._

"_I'm not surprised, I am very missable." I nod, serious, as he moves to kiss me. Guaire, chooses this moment to notice his father and lets out a shriek of delight. He smiles at me again then turns to scoop his son up._

"_And you, da's missed you, yes he has." He swings Guaire around in circles. I watch my boys with approval and start at the voice that comes from right next to me._

"_Forgive me for interrupting your family time..." I look sharply at the man who had appeared next to me, the accent identifying him as the Irish assassin, who had recently requested admission to our guild. His stealth levels were even higher than mine._

_Fearghas clutches Guaire to his chest and his head spins to face the newcomer, eyeing him suspiciously. The Irishman bows his head slightly, acknowledging that the scots were still uneasy about him being around._

"_Grand Master requests your presence." He bows his head again, steps back and leaves. Fearghas watches him leave before handing me Guaire, kissing the baby's head softly and then mine._

"_I don't know how he knows I'm back, but I better not keep him waiting..." He gives me a smile and slips after the other assassin._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Spelled 'Uilleam', pronounced, William. Spelled 'Guaire', pronounced 'GOOY-ruh'. Spelled 'Fearghas', pronounced '****FE-ruh-ghus****'. 'Seanair' pronounced 'SHAN-ir', is the gaelic form of Grandfather. Those following, sorry for the delay, RL has been hectic and yes, I jumped subjects too XD. Will try and keep to it from now.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"_Eion?"_ I open bleary eyes, as I'm shaken awake. "_Where'd you go?_"

"No, Lu, its aunty. Wake up dear." I blink at her, taking in the scene. Her and uncle were crouched over me, worry on their faces. I try to sit up and pain throbs through my head. "Slowly, dear. Are you alright?" I let them ease me up slowly and the pain fades away. I look around at the ground that I had obviously been lying on.

"What happened?" I ask rubbing my head.

"You must have fainted. Come on, love. Let's get you to bed." I do as instructed, still dazed and sleepy. I lie in the bed of the motel where we are staying, with my eyes closed, and catch the quiet conversation, as aunty and uncle leave the room, thinking I'm asleep.

"Did you hear her when she woke up?"

"She hasn't called out to him for years."

"The name sounded familiar."

"Her imaginary friend, remember, before Charlie and Kelly..." I feel my face twinge at the mention of my parents names.

"That's right, she used to talk to him, when she first came to live with us." There's a pause and he speaks again. "Iris? Was it just me, or was she speaking another language?" My ears strain trying to hear them and I catch the start of the sentence.

"It was Gaelic. She doesn't know Gaelic, at..." The click of the door cuts off the conversation and my eyes open.

_I wasn't talking Gaelic,_ I think. _And I don't know what the fuss is about, I feel fine, a little sleepy, but fine._ I try and think back to what happened. One minute I'm walking through the lounge, the next, I'm, _There was a baby... _My eyes widen as my dream comes back to me.

_And Ezio's coming. And there was a man... Well, he was only just a man. _It comes back like I'd really just lived it, not dreamt it. Like I was really going to see Ezio, like it was my baby, like that guy had really been my baby's father... My eyes flutter sleepily, and I rub them, a charm from my bracelet catching my hair.

I wince, squinting and trying to untangle it and gasp, as I glimpse a figure, with my hazy periphery vision. I pause, heart beating harder, before giving in and looking directly at it. I see a man, he glows and for a second and disappears. I don't scream. I just keep staring at the empty space, where he'd been.

Because I recognised him, like someone you knew once, but haven't seen in forever. I sit up and look around, but he's gone.

"What the... That was weird." I rub my eyes again and shake my head, _It must have been a left over from my dream, _I nod, _That's it, I'm still half asleep._

I yawn, half forced, half real, as if to convince myself. I lay back down and pull the blankets around me and eventually I feel myself begin to fall asleep. Random images fill my head, as I slip into semi consciousness.

A garden, grass, a kitchen...

_I hear banging and shouts, I look up at the door to the room where the noises are coming from. The handle seems so far up. Still, I can hear my mum yelling and I want to see why. I reach up to the handle, bracelet that's too big for me, sliding up my arm as I do._

Lucia.

_I don't so much hear the voice, as feel it. But that's not unusual, seeing as I'm also the only one that ever see's the voice's owner. I turn and look at the tall man now standing in the kitchen._

Don't go in there.

"_But ma..." I point at the door, still hearing a scuffle._

It's alright. Go out that way and wait out front, on your chair. _I look up at him and scrunch my face up in defiance._

"_But I want to see."_

Now Lu, go on, do as your told. _I nod, giving in and stomp out the kitchen door. But I don't go straight to the front. I peak back in and see the door that I had been trying to go through, swing open as my mother falls through it. She's bleeding._

"_Mama..." I let out a whisper as she kicks the door shut behind her and leans against it, something heavy banging from the other side. The man crouches down next to her and puts a hand to her face and she looks at him, now able to see._

"_Eion?" She say's it in shock and he nods. "But..." she quietens as he talks to her. I can't hear him now, this conversation is for her only. Her turn to nod and I see her start to cry. "Yes, old friend. Please, save her."_

_There is a flash and Eion is gone. My mother stands, face still, even thought the tears still shine on her cheeks. She looks straight at me and her eyes shine gold. She points to the side and I notice she has a knife poking out from her wrist. I hear Eion's voice._

Go to the bench, Lucia. And wait there until your uncles come.

_I do as I'm told, running to the front of the house and sitting on the little bench my father had made me, behind the hedge. There are more shouts and flashes from the house, but I don't peak again. I sit and wait for my uncles. When they arrive, they run into the house. More yells and cries. But no banging. I know some things happened, but not what. My mother doesn't come back out, neither does da. I hear them calling my name, but I don't answer. Sitting quietly, drawing in the dirt with a twig._

_Finally, Uncle Shane spots me, calling out to the others and crouching down in front of me._

"_Are you alright, Lu?" I nod._

"_Where's ma?" He looks away, uncomfortable._

"_She's... sleeping. What are you doing here?"_

"_Eion told me to wait here for you." I look up at him._

"_Your imaginary friend Eion?" I nod and he pulls me into a hug. "Well, tha' was a good thing for him to tell you. And, you're a good girl for listening."_

_Everything blurs and the scene changes. I am at Uncle Shane's house, its huge and there are always two or three of my uncles and aunts there every time we would come visit. Right now there were more than fifteen of them. I lay in the bed, I had been made and listen to them talk, them thinking I had fallen asleep._

"_We have to take action. We cannae let them get away with this. Charlie and Kelly! And what about Lu? Now she has no parents?" Shane's quiet voice fills the room._

"_This will not go unpunished. Of that you can be sure. And Lu..." I wait, at the mention of my name. "Charlie's sister will be here in the morning. She will take the girl with her, back to New Zealand, after the funerals."_

"_New Zealand? Lucia should stay with us! She is one of us, we're her family." The voice belongs to my aunt Erica. "The creed is in her blood. We should not be sending her away._

"_Erica." She stops talking, as most did when Uncle Shane spoke, "We are not sending her away, and we're not abandoning her. But she needs to be somewhere safe, while we find who ever sent these agents here. Because make no mistake, they meant to kill all three of them. We'll let her go, for now. Iris and Jason know the score. When we call, Lu will be returned. But for now, we need to contact the other guilds and find out who sent..."_

I shake my head frowning, as the conversation trails off and the scene turns to darkness. I reach up and scratch my face, surprised to find my fingers come away wet. I open an eye a sliver and my fingers glisten. I wipe at my cheeks and stare at the tears, I hadn't realised I'd been shedding.

My dream had already faded from my memory and I struggle to remember what could have been so sad, that it had made me cry in my sleep. And then I realise, I'm still crying. A sob works its way to my mouth, but I smother it in my pillow, shocked.

_It'll be all right Lu, let it out._

I look up at the voice, searching for its source, but I find no one. And then one memory comes back. He was my imaginary friend, when I was little. I push my face back into the pillow, putting the emotional outburst down to the left over feelings from whatever I had dreamt about.

"Tomorrow, I'll be fine." I mumble into the pillow. "Think positive." I scan my brain for something to look forward to and Desmond immediately pops into my head. _That. We'll be heading back to Montireggioni in a few days and I can tell him all about it._ The sobbing slows and stops. I feel a reassuring hand on my shoulder as I drift off, and I can't see him but I know it's Eion.

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter wasn't originally meant be like this, but I like how it turned out and it still works towards the overall plot, so I'm sticking with it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

I sit on top of the Villa Auditori, scanning the rooftops that spread out below me. Nothing moves, well nothing special. I sigh, but keep looking.

_She not there, you're waiting for nothing._

My lip twitches in annoyance at the thought. _I'm not looking for her._ I answer the voice. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. Since Lucia had left, I had no distraction to keep them at bay. Those voices, even if they had all started as just mine, were warped. I could hear Ezio, Altair, some I could guess at, others I didn't recognise at all.

_She's not coming back. They got her._

"Shut up." I answer aloud, reassurance coming from hearing my own voice. "She'll be back tomorrow." The beeper on my watch goes off, giving me the signal to head back to the Sanctuary. I make my way back, a low throb of excitement that Lucia would be back the next day.

I'm so excited I even dream about her, and it's just a dream. Not a strange memory, just a dream. I wake up with a smile and I'm even enthusiastic when I get into the animus. When I get out, it's well after midnight.

I had plenty of time, I wouldn't even wake her,_ I just want to see her._ I don't even notice the distance, as I make my way to the villa. I lift myself up to the ledge and peer into the window, to her room. My stomach drops.

_Told you. She's not coming back._

I frown and shake my head at the empty room, _They were probably just held up, stayed another night._ I nod at my excuse.

_They got her, just accept it. You're alone again._

I drop to the ground and pain jars up my legs, from the ground shock. But it also clears my head.

I walk back to the Sanctuary, my mood steadily getting lower. The voices in my head return and I try, and fail, to block out the discussion that is taking place about Lucia's fate.

Rebecca picks up on the change as I walk in. I restrict my answers to one syllable, 'yes,' 'no,' or even simply, a grunt or nod.

"So, have you seen the girl again?" Her attempt to lift my mood, goes horribly wrong and I stare at her. "The one... from..." She trails off, at my glare. Watching after me, as I mumble an excuse about being tired, and stalk over to my sleeping bag.

_It's not her fault Lucia wasn't there._ I tell myself off._ There's no need to take it out on her._ I roll my eyes, huffing out a breath and dropping onto the sorry excuse for a bed.

_Why am I sleeping down here, when I have a perfectly good bed in my room?_

I squeeze my eyes shut, and press clenched fists into them, at the random thought, that I hadn't been thinking._ But I- _HE_, honestly sounded confused._ I hold in a groan and roll over, keeping my eyes closed, until the only thing, aside from Lucia, that relieved my head, tugged my still noisy mind to sleep.

* * *

><p>"You feeling any better, Des?" I yawn and fake a smile.<p>

"Yeah, I think I just needed some sleep." I over exaggerate a full body stretch.

"Excellent, the last thing we need is more tension." She chuckles, "Shaun has that under lock and key." She taps away at the keyboard in front of her, "Your session went well today. You get in the zone when you're hooked up to Baby." I nod.

"On that note I might go for a walk before I get back into it. Don't wanna lose touch with the 'real world'." I wink at her and she smiles.

"God forbid, we lose touch of the "real world"." She lifts her hands and puts quotation marks around the words and I laugh, flicking a hand over my shoulder in farewell, as I walk out.

I don't go to the villa, my head, wasn't too bad yet and the thought of seeing the empty room again was disappointment enough. I watch the sky as I vault the rooftops. Clouds make slow progress, across it and I find myself on top of the church roof gazing up in envy at the freedom the sky provided them.

My sight changes and my shoulders drop. _Still can't control it._ I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, shaking my head and squashing the thought, something I was getting real good at. I catch a shimmer from the corner of my eye and look.

_There she is._

She stands on the edge of the roof across from me, glowing blue. Her hood, casting a shadow over her face. Cape, fluttering slightly in the invisible breeze. She tilt's her head slightly and even though I can't see her eyes, I can feel them, looking at me. She smiles and raises a hand.

I watch her, take a few steps back and take a flying leap towards me. For a moment she hangs in midair, and I feel a surge of panic, thinking she won't make it across the distance. She lands, one foot on the edge, the other slipping down the side of the building. I reach out and grab her hand as she scrabbles at the roof tiles.

"_Mhairi, are you alright?_" I ask, as I pull her upright. She frowns and the blue shimmer fades, leaving a confused Lucia looking back at me.

"What?"

"What?" I feel stupid asking the same question back, but I couldn't exactly say, 'Oh, nothing, I just got you confused with an assassin who lived 500 years ago, that's all.'

"You were talking in Italian." I stare blankly.

"Uh, yeah. Been trying to learn, you know, since we're in Italy and all that." She looks back unconvinced.

"Oh, I thought I heard you call me... Never mind." She shakes her head, then looks back up, smiling. "But anyway, hey." She pauses, and then throws her arms around me. It catches me by surprise, but it takes me less than a second to respond, slipping my arms under hers.

"Yeah, hey. I was expecting you back yesterday." I can't keep the slightly accusing tone from my voice. I loosen my grip and smile, when she doesn't do the same, arms still firmly attached around my neck, although she does pull back to look up at me.

"Yeah I know, sorry, I had a moment and Aunty and Uncle, decided to stay an extra day to make sure I'd recovered."

"A moment?" I ask, curious and concerned, at the same time.

"Yeah, I uh," She looks away sheepishly, "fainted or something. I dunno, One minute, I'm walking to the kitchen and next minute, Auntys waking me up, on the floor." She shrugs and then looks back to me, eyes wide, "And I dreamt about the assassins again, like, while I was passed out."

"Wait, you fainted to dream about them?" I watch her with narrow eyes, a dull throb in my stomach, signalling an increase in my concern.

"No, I mean, wheel it does sound like that, aye." She laughs, "But, it wasn't like I did it on purpose, it just happened."

"But you're alright now?" I scrutinise her face, and she looks away, blushing.

"Yeah, I mean, it was them freaking out, not me." I reach up and pull her face back towards mine.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, really, I'm fine." She says, pulling away. "Let's go find somewhere to sit and I'll tell you all about it." She beckons and backs towards the edge of the roof. She shoots me a smirk and drops down, making my heart thud, before I grin and follow her down into the church.

I sit and listen to her recount the night and when she leans on me and my natural reaction is to put my arm around her shoulders. She tells me about the memory, being woken, her Aunt and Uncle's discussion. Waking up, crying.

"And I don't know why." She twirls a strand of her hair, as she thinks. "Like at the time, I could remember it a bit, but now I can't remember any of it. And I'm like 'Don't be so stupid, it was only a dream'. And then I was all, 'Think positive, oh, you'll be seeing Desmond soon, and you can tell him all about it'." She laughs and then freezes, like she had let something slip, again.

"Is that right?" I tease her, trying not to laugh. She looks away awkwardly.

"Wheel, yeah. I know it's stupid, but I always look forward to seeing you." She smiles, shyly, "I was, so, devastated when they said we were staying away another day."

_She says something so simple and your stomach feels like it's going to explode from the butterflies. _I can feel the smile etched on my face, and I can feel the thought shake its head at me. But it is my thought. All me, and it was great, even though I was wondering how Ezio was going to feel, when he finds out Mhairi's now taken.

"That's kind of why I came out tonight. I wanted to see if you were around." She turns her shy smile on me and mine get's bigger. "Is that alright?" She asks, hesitant smile fading. _Hell yeah, it's alright._ Luckily the thought stays in my head and doesn't slip from my mouth.

"Why wouldn't it be?" I shrug to hide the fact that I was suddenly very conscience of how close we were._ Just turn your head at the right time, and you could 'accidently' kiss her, without even trying._ Now _that,_ was definitely something I missed. I think of Ezio's recent advances towards the, now married Christina, and feel a spark of jealousy. _Even dead, he gets more action then me._

Lucia mistakes my thoughtful look for, annoyance and starts to pull away.

"Sorry, if I'm annoying you, you can just tell me and I'll go-" I stop her before I even realise I'm doing it, tensing my arm slightly, to keep her from moving further away.

"No, really, you're not annoying me." She bites her lip, then smiles, relaxing back into my side.

"Okay, cause if you don't want to listen to me, you can just say. I won't get offended or anything." I chuckle.

"Actually, I like your stories." Her eyes shine.

"Really?"

"Really." I murmur, nodding and trying not to look at her lips. Her eyes flick down, then back up and I watch her move closer._ Don't forget, she's only seventeen._ The warning resounds in my head. But another whispers behind it. _She's nearly eighteen. Nearly... _That does it and I can't help myself, I move forward to meet her.

But something happens.

Lucia's eyes widen and she goes stiff, back arching. There is a flash from my left and I blink at the unexpected light. My eyes slowly readjust and Lucia slumps into my chest. I cradle her, calling out her name, and get no response. She lies in my arms, limp. I slide off the pew and lay her on the ground, checking to make sure she's breathing.

"Lucia?" I shake her and get no response."Lucia!" I say her name louder and shake her harder. Before I can get up, I freeze, my whole body tense. I suck in a strained breath, falling to the ground, as another flash of light is followed by the now familiar 'Black Loading' screen, materializing around me.


End file.
